NASA Received a Cat Video From Space Which Came From 19 Million Miles Away

One more cat might seem underwhelming in comparison to the abundance of cat videos on the internet. However, what makes this particular short clip intriguing is its origin — it was sent to NASA from a distance of 19 million miles away.

The Psyche mission, which commenced in October, is en route to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche. It’s estimated to contain an astounding value of $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 in precious metals. The spacecraft is anticipated to enter the asteroid’s orbit by August 2029. Along the journey toward the metal-rich asteroid, the Psyche mission is making significant contributions to the field of communications. A video featuring Taters the cat has been recognized as a significant milestone for NASA during this mission.

The adorable video showcases a ginger tabby named Taters joyfully chasing a laser pointer on a sofa. Of course, Taters isn’t actually in space. Recorded on Earth, the footage was uploaded to the spacecraft before its launch. Taters belongs to an employee at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

This clip of the cat was transmitted from NASA’s Psyche mission to Earth in mere seconds. Precisely 101 seconds after transmission, JPL employees received the video. It was dispatched via a flight laser transceiver carried aboard Psyche to the Hale Telescope at Mount Palomar.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy praised the triumph in data transmission, stating, “This accomplishment underscores our commitment to advancing optical communications as a key element to meeting our future data transmission needs.”

This successful trial follows the Psyche mission’s recent accomplishment of sending a laser-encoded message to Earth. However, the transmission of the endearing Taters video is particularly noteworthy, showcasing the ability to transfer larger data volumes using this pioneering technology.

NASA has been at the forefront of significant discoveries, notably predicting the complete disappearance of Saturn’s rings by the year 2025.